ms Koningsdam Floats Out For Final Phase of Construction

This week has been full of new ships news and to end it nicely the ms Koningsdam has floated out of its construction yard for the final phase.

The upcoming Holland America cruise ship floated out of its construction dock at the Finacantieri shipyard in Marghera, Italy. The ship has been moved to the outfitting dock where the final phase of the build process begins. this includes all the inside spaces as contractors begin to make the ship as grand as it can be inside.

“A ship’s construction has many key milestones, and floating it out and moving it to the outfitting dock is especially symbolic,” said Orlando Ashford, president of Holland America Line. “The float out represents that we are getting closer to welcoming Koningsdam to our fleet and seeing the ship in the water adds to the excitement among our loyal guests, travel agent partners and employees in anticipation of its arrival.”

A coin ceremony also was held earlier on Feb. 26, when Tineke Schroder, wife of the founder of Dutch airline Martinair and a member of Holland America Line’s Mariner Society, served as the ship’s madrina.

During the coin ceremony, observed as a tradition to bring good fortune, two gold coins were welded to the forward mast of the ship by Schroder; Antonio Quintano, director of Fincantieri Shipyard; and Keith Taylor, executive vice president, fleet operations, for Holland America Line, followed by speeches and a blessing by the shipyard chaplain. The gold coins bear the image of His Majesty King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands. The word koning means “king” in Dutch, and the ship’s name pays honor to the first king of the Netherlands in over a century.

ms Koningsdam will be delivered to Holland America on March 31st 2016 and will become the new flagship of the fleet. The vessel will be 99,500 gross tons.